“From the opening performance and background, you can see this year is a little different. FCSN is 30 years old!” With those words, emcee Jason Hwan opened FCSN’s annual Family Day on Saturday, June 6 2026, at the Culture Center of T.E.C.O in Milpitas. Continue reading Thirty Years: FCSN Celebrates Family Day
We wish you all enjoyed the year-end holiday break and are ready to embrace the upcoming new year! Time flies, and FCSN has completed another year in 2025 that was both challenging and fruitful… Continue reading President’s Message
A photo of Dr. Garrett Chan
When Dr. Garrett Chan first began volunteering at Friends of Special Needs (FCSN) as a junior high school student, his goal was simple: to spend more time with his younger sister, who is on the autism spectrum. What began as a way to support her, however, quickly grew into a formative experience—one that shaped his patience, empathy, and ultimately, his decision to pursue medicine… Continue reading Interview with FCSN Alumni: Garrett Chan
It’s not easy being a mother. It means fulfilling the equal tasks of guardian, advisor, and best friend. It requires patient, constant nurturing and love–even when there are other tasks at hand pressing with equal need… Continue reading Finding Family in FCSN: Yvette Ying’s Journey as a Mother, Fighter, and Do’er
Jobs provide a unique opportunity to showcase strengths, build independence, and contribute to society while gaining structure, purpose, and financial security. However, in the US, 34% of neurodivergent individuals have had trouble with the recruitment and hiring process, according to a TextHelp survey. This leads to unemployment rates as high as 30 – 40% for neurodiverse adults, 8 times higher than the average. This is where FCSN’s Coordinated Career Pathways (CCP) program comes into play… Continue reading Coordinated Career Pathways: Tailored Employment Support
FCSN East Bay Adult Day Program coordinator Diana Ko shares her struggles adjusting to helping her clients virtually during the pandemic, and everyone’s anticipation of returning to in-person classes. Continue reading FCSN Reopening, A New Norm
Adjusting to virtual classes was difficult for FCSN South Bay Adult Day Program Teacher Ramona Diaz at first. But slowly she learned and became adjusted to the new norm along with her clients. Continue reading FCSN and I
FCSN East Bay Adult Day Program teacher, Wendy Hoang, shares the various reasons why she is so committed to her job at FCSN. Continue reading I LOVE FCSN
FCSN East Bay Program Director Nayeli Toto shares how her teams immediately created a full spectrum of virtual classes to adapt to shelter-in-place with the aid of keeping clients’ minds engaged and learning while keeping their bodies strong. Continue reading FCSN Remote Services
Adult Day Program Coordinator Jake Haw details the activity changes made to bring clients to the virtual world. Classes include physical fitness, social development, academic, and creativity classes. There are also special theme days, such as Hat Day, or Book Day, to generate extra enthusiasm among the clients. Continue reading Bringing Individuals With Special Needs to the Virtual World
